Previous Winners

Previous High Plains Book Award Winners

2022

Art & Photography: Bison: Portrait of an Icon by Audrey Hall and Chase Reynolds Ewald
Children’s Book: Dear Peter, Dear Ulla by Barbara Nickel
Creative Nonfiction: The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struglle to Save an American Neighborhood by Julian Rubinstein
Fiction: And It Will Be a Beautiful Life by Craig Lancaster
First Book: Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice by Katherine Wiltenburg Todrys
Indigenous Writer: 20.12m: A Short Story Collection of a Live Lived as a Road Allowance Metis by Arnolda Dufour Bowes
Medicine and Science: Wild Rescues: A Paramedic’s Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton by Kevin Grange
Nonfiction: A History of Montana in 101 Objects by Kirby Lambert, Tom Ferris, and the Montana Historical Society
Poetry: The Track the Whales Make by Marjorie Saiser
Short Stories: Site Fidelity by Claire Boyles
Woman Writer: The Stone Sister by Caroline Patterson
Young Adult: Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Big Sky Award: A History of Montana in 101 Objects by Kirby Lambert, Tom Ferris, and the Montana Historical Society

 

2021

Art & Photography: A Corner of Space and Time: Lee Nye’s Eddie’s Club Portraits by Jean Belangie-Nye, Aaron Teasdale, and Benjamin Ferencz
Children’s Book: On a Good Horse by Darby Karchut
Creative Nonfiction: Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory by David A. Robertson
Fiction: Ruthie Fear by Maxim Loskutoff
First Book: The Response of Weeds by Bertrand Bickersteth
Indigenous Writer: Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Medicine and Science: Roadside Geology of Montana by Donald W. Hyndman & Robert C. Thomas
Nonfiction: The Grizzly in the Driveway by Rob Chaney
Poetry: Ghosts Still Linger by Kat Cameron
Short Stories: If Sylvie Had Nine Lives by Leona Theis
Woman Writer: The Historians by Cecilia Ekbäck
Young Adult: Opulence, Kansas by Julie Stielstra
Big Sky Award: Shakespeare in Montana: Big Sky Country’s Love Affair with the World’s Most Famous Writer by Gretchen E. Minton

 

2020
Art & Photography – Victor Cicansky: The Gardener’s Universe/L’Univers d’un Jardinier, Timothy Long and Julia Krueger, editors
Big Sky Award – Voices Of Yellowstone’s Capstone, Traute N. Parrie and Jesse A. Logan, editors
Children’s Book – Howl: A New Look at the Big Bad Wolfby Ted Rechlin
Creative Nonfiction – Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country, by Pam Houston
Fiction – Fall Back Down When I Die, by Joe Wilkins
First Book – Reckless Steps Toward Sanity: A Memoir, by Judith Sara Gelt
Indigenous Writer – From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, by Jesse Thistle
Medicine & Science – Six Hundred Generations: an Archaeological History of Montana, by Carl M. Davis
Nonfiction – Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power, by Pekka Hamalainen
Poetry – Wilderness//Kingdom, by Jory Mickelson
Short Stories – Winning Chance, by Katherine Koller
Woman Writer – River People, by Margaret Lukas
Young Adult – Cold White Sun, by Sue Farrell Holler

2019
Art & Photography – Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West – Dr. Peter H. Hassrick et al
Big Sky Award – Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life – David Quammen
Children’s Book – Double! Not Half – Rodney Gottula
Creative Nonfiction – Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption – Susan Devan Harness
Fiction – The Flicker of Old Dreams – Susan Henderson
First Book – One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays From The World At Large – Chris La Tray
Indigenous Writer – Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption – Susan Devan Harness
Medicine & Science – Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life – David Quammen
Nonfiction – An African In Imperial London: The Indomitable Life of A. B. C. Merriman-Labor – Danell Jones
Poetry – View from True North – Sara Henning
Short Stories (tie) – Cloudbursts: Collected and New Stories – Thomas McGuane
Short Stories (tie) – Come West and See: Stories – Maxim Loskutoff
Woman Writer – The Flicker of Old Dreams – Susan Henderson
Young Adult – Sadia – Colleen Nelson

2018
Art & Photography – Theodore Waddell: My Montana – Rick Newby
Children’s Book – What I Saw in Glacier – Ellen Horowitz
Creative Nonfiction – A Darkness Lit by Heroes: The Granite Mountain- Speculator Mine Disaster of 1917 – Doug Ammons
Fiction – Days Without End – Sebastian Barry
First Book – Bad Kansas – Becky Mandelbaum
Indigenous Writer – Strangers: Book 1, The Reckoner Trilogy – David A. Robertson,
Medicine & Science – The Patch: The People, Pipelines, and Politics of the Oil Sands – Chris Turner
Nonfiction – Wonderlandscape: Yellowstone National Park and the Evolution of an American Cultural Icon – John Clayton
Poetry – Throwing the Diamond Hitch – Emily Ursuliak
Short Stories – Maple & Lead – Aaron Parrett
Woman Writer – The Last Chance Ladies’ Book Club – Marlis Wesseler
Young Adult – Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival – Matthew P. Mayo

2017
Art & Photography – Frederic Remington: A Catalogue Raissonne II – Peter Hassrick
Children’s Book – Runs With Courage – Joan Wolf
Creative Nonfiction – Temperance Creek – Pamela Royes
Fiction – The Bones of Paradise – Jonis Agee
First Book – Hurt People – Cote Smith
Indigenous Writer – Burning in This Midnight Dream – Louise Halfe
Medicine & Science – Hopping Ahead of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science and Survival – Sneed B. Collard III
Nonfiction – The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero – Timothy Egan
Poetry – Poems Across the Big Sky II – Lowell Jaeger, editor
Short Stories – For a Little While – Rick Bass
Woman Writer – Mortal Fall – Christine Carbo
Young Adult – The Pain Eater – Beth Goobie

2016
Art & Photography – Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek – Thomas D. Mangelsen & Todd Wilkinson
Children’s Book – Cub’s Journey Home – Georgia Graham
Creative Nonfiction – Canoeing the Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer – Patrick Dobson
Fiction – Madder Carmine – Tyler Enfield
First Book – The Actor – Beth Hunter McHugh
Medicine & Science – Glacier National Park After Dark – John Ashley
Nonfiction – Colorado: A Historical Atlas – Thomas J. Noel
Poetry – Red Canyon Falling on Churches – Juliana Aragon Fatula
Short Stories – Far Enough: A Western in Fragments – Joe Wilkins
Woman Writer – Wolf Winter – Cecelia Ekback
Young Adult – Am I the Only One? Struggling Being a Teen – Treena Wynes

2015
Art & Photography – Charles M. Russell: Photographing the Legend – Larry Len Peterson
Children’s Book – Back to Batoche – Cheryl Chad
Culinary – A Taste of Montana: Favorite Recipes from Big Sky Country – Seabring Davis
Fiction – Stars Go Blue – Laura Pritchett
First Book – Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West – Bryce Andrews
Nonfiction – Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West – Bryce Andrews
Poetry – Balefire – Shann Ray
Short Stories – The Widow Smalls and Other Stories – Jamie Lisa Forbes
Woman Writer – The Home Place – Carrie La Seur
Young Adult – Camp Outlook – Brenda Baker

2014
Art & Photography – Karl Bodmer’s America Revisited: Landscape Views Over Time – W. R. Wood & R. M. Lindholm
Children’s Book – Baba’s Babushka: A Magical Ukrainian Wedding – Marion Mutala
Fiction – Let Him Go – Larry Watson
First Book – Montana – Gwen Florio
Medicine & Science – In the Shadow of the Sabertooth: A Renegade Naturalist Considers Global Warming, the First Americans and the Terrible Beasts of the Pleistocene – Doug Peacock
Nonfiction – Rough Breaks: A Wyoming High Country Memoir – Laurie Wagner Buyer
Poetry – Grey Dog Big Sky – Sheryl Noethe
Short Stories – Cowboys and East Indians – Nina McConigley
Woman Writer – Clearwater – Kim McCullough
Young Adult – Black Helicopters – Blythe Woolston

2013
Art & Photography – Montana: Real Place, Real People – Alan S. Kesselheim & Thomas Lee
Culinary – Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet – Dee Hobsbawn-Smith
Fiction – The Round House – Louise Erdrich
First Book – The Anatomy of Edouard Beaupre – Sarah Kathryn York
Nonfiction – Deliverance From the Little Big Horn – Joan Nabseth Stevenson
Poetry – Notes From the Journey Westward – Joe Wilkins
Short Stories – What You Get At Home – Dora Dueck
Woman Writer – The Miseducation of Cameron Post – Emily M. Danforth
Young Adult – The Miseducation of Cameron Post – Emily M. Danforth

2012
Emeritus – Thomas McGuane
Art & Photography – Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation – Sara Wiles
Fiction – The Ringer – Jenny Shank
First Book – American Masculine – Shann Ray
Nonfiction – Hand Raised:  The Barns of Montana – Chere Jiusto & Christine W. Brown
Poetry – Songs of Unreason – Jim Harrison
Short Stories – American Masculine – Shann Ray
Woman Writer – Married Into It – Patricia Frolander

2011
Emeritus – Larry Woiwode
Art & Photography – Visions of the Big Sky – Dan Flores
Fiction – Ghosts of Wyoming – Alyson Hagy
First Book – Bound Like Grass: A Memoir From the Western High Plains – Ruth McLaughlin
Nonfiction – Bloodshed at Little Bighorn: Sitting Bull, Custer, and the Destinies of Nations – Tim Lehman
Poetry – Horse Tracks – Henry Real Bird
Woman Writer – Goodbye Wifes and Daughters – Susan Kushner Resnick

2010
Emeritus – Margaret Coel
Fiction – Twisted Tree – Kent Meyers
First Book – 600 Hours of Edward – Craig Lancaster
Nonfiction – Lanterns on the Prairie: The Blackfeet Photographs of Walter McClintock – Steven L. Grafe, Editor
Poetry – Holding Everything Down – William Notter
Woman Writer – No Place Like Home – Linda Hasselstrom

2009
Emeritus – Louise Erdrich
Fiction – So Brave, Young and Handsome – Leif Enger
First Book – Horses That Buck: The Story of Champion Bronc Rider Bill Smith – Margot Kahn
Nonfiction – In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein – Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham
Poetry – Made Flesh – Craig Arnold
Woman Writer – Road Map to Holland – Jennifer Graf Groneberg

2008
Emeritus – Gary Ferguson
Fiction – A Feast of Longing – Sarah Klassen
First Book – Migration Patterns: Stories – Gary Schanbacher
Nonfiction – Charles M. Russell: A Catalogue Raisonné  – B. Byron Price, Editor

2007
Emeritus – Larry Watson
Book of the Year – Indians And Emigrants: Encounters on the Overland Trails – Michael L. Tate
Best New Book – Jay Cooke’s gamble : the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Sioux, and the Panic of 1873 – M. John Lubetkin

    The Billings Public Library Board has established the High Plains Book Awards to recognize regional literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains, including the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

    ADDRESS

    1302 - 24th St W. #109
    Billings, MT 59101

    PHONE

    (406) 652-2053

    EMAIL

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